Bracelet formed of detachable links having resilient pin-retaining means therein



March 27, 1962 N. c. BURKHARDT 3,026,670 BRACELET FORMED OF DETACHABLELINKS HAVING RESILIENT PIN-RETAINING MEANS THEREIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 20, l9 59,

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March 27, 1962 N. c. BURKHARDT 3,026,670

BRACELET FORMED OF DETACHABLE LINKS HAVING RESILIENT PIN-RETAINING MEANSTHEREIN Filed Oct. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill 6 2a 12 I6 25 /2 16 eaIN V EN TOR. Ami/IA 6! 3017469111?! BY g f aszasrs Patented Mar. 27,1882 HAVING RESILIEN T PllN-RETAKN MEAN S TEEREIN ING Norman (3.liurkhardt, Brookville, N.Y., assignor to Jacoby-Bender, line, Woodside,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Get. 20, 1959, set. No. s47,ssaClaims. c1. s9 s2 The present invention relates to a structure forarticulately connecting the links of a bracelet chain while permittingready detachment of links from the chain.

A major problem involved in the merchandising of link chain bracelets,whether used as such or in conjunction with wrist watches, derives fromthe fact that the wrist sizes of prospective customers vary widely. Theproblem is particularly critical when the bracelet is used to attach awrist watch, since then the bracelet must fit the Wrist rather snugly.Since bracelets are available in many different styles, it has beennecessary for the retailer to stock a given bracelet in various sizes inorder to be able to fit the Wrist of the particular customer who wishesto purchase that bracelet. Since the retail jeweler has only a limitedamount of money to invest in bracelet inventory, it follows that, exceptin the most unusual circumstances, he is as a practical matter unable tostock all bracelets in all sizes. As a result he often loses a salebecause he does not have the particular bracelet desired by aprospective purchaser in the proper size.

This problem has long been recognized, and the art is replete with linkchain structures so designed that the jeweler, at the point of sale, mayadd or subtract links from the chain in order to bring it to the propersize for the particular customer involved. These link attachingarrangements have in general suffered from one or more of the followingdisadvantages: The manipulation involved in attaching and detachinglinks is complicated, difiicult, and time consuming; special tools arerequired; complex structures are involved which make for expense ofmanufacture and unreliability of operation; because of the attaching anddetaching structure the links are excessively bulky or are visuallyunattractive; accidental separation of links occurs all too frequently;the articulation of the links relative to one another is inhibited orunduly restricted.

In accordance with the present invention a simple structlre has beendevised which eliminates all of the above mentioned disadvantages. Innon-detachable linkages the links are often connected together by meansof pin-like securing elements which define pivotal axes about whichadjacent links can turn. Obviously detachability of links can beeffected if these link-securing pins are removed. The problem is,however, not nearly as simple as that statement might imply. If the pinsare readily removable they will tend to escape from the linksaccidentally, an inadmissible situation. If the pins are reliablysecured in place the problem of removing them when link detachment isdesired becomes overly delicate and complicated. Hence, despite theapparent obviousness of this general approach to the problem, thismethod of detachability has not in the past proved practical, as Witnessthe considerably more complicated detachability arrangements in theprior art.

It has been found that the use of removable link-securing pins for thispurpose is feasible if means are provided within the connected links forengaging those pins and reliably retaining them in assembled position byexerting upon them a force sufiicient to produce a frictional resistanceto movement. This frictional force can, however, be overcome if the pinsare manually pushed or Iii pulled out from their assembled position. Thedisassembling force can readily be exerted lpon the pin by means of anysuitable pointed or thin tool. There is no real possibility that such aforce could be exerted upon the link-securing pin in any accidental wayso that the links are reliably connected to one another under normalcircumstances. The jeweler, however, can readily detach and attach linksat the point of sale.

To develop this frictional retaining force on the linksecuring pinswithin the attached links, each of the links is provided with aresilient member, here shown as a strip of resilient metal, thatresilient member being loosely retained within the link and having partswhich normally extend into the link passages through which thelink-securing pin is adapted to pass and being movable out from thosepassages, against the resiliency of the member its self, when the pin isinserted into those passages. It will, therefore engage the pin andpress it against the passage walls with appreciable force, thus creatinga frictional resistance to axial movement of the pin which reliablyretains the pin within the link passages until such time as it may bemanually pushed therefrom by using some appropriate simple tool.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the bracelet linkstructure as defined in the appended claims and as described in thisspecification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view, taken partially from above,of a portion of a link chain constructed according to the presentinvention, some of the links being shown as detachable and others asnon-detachable, the links being covered by ornamental shells;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a series of interconnected links withthe ornamental shells omitted;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of several of the linksof the present invention, with portions thereof partially broken awayand cross sectioned and with one link-securing pin only partiallyinserted;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a composite three-quarter perspective view showing the blankfrom which a link may be formed and also showing the link formedtherefrom.

In the embodiment of the present invention here specifically disclosedthe bracelet chain is formed at least in part from a plurality ofarticulately connected but readily disconnectable links, three adjacentsuch links, each of substantially identical construction, beinggenerally designated A, B and C (see FIG. 1). Each link, on one sidethereof and substantially intermediate its ends, has a projectingportion 2. On the other side thereof and at each end are projectingportions 4 between which a recess 6 is defined, each projecting portion2 being receivable in the recess 6 in the next adjacent link. Theintermediate projecting portion 2 of one link and the end projectingportions 4 of the next adjacent link have passages 8 and 10 respectivelywhich are adapted to register when a projecting portion 2 is receivedwithin a recess 6, the passages 8 and 10 then collectively extendingfrom one side surface of the bracelet to the other. The links areadapted to be connected to one another by a pin or the like 12 which isadapted to be inserted into the passages 8 and it) from one of the sidesurfaces of the bracelet. A resilient means generally designated 14 iscarried by each link and is designed to engage and resiliently pressagainst the pin 12 in one or more of the passages 8 and 10, thereby toretain said pin 12 in position and prevent it from accidentally escapingand thus breaking the continuity of the bracelet.

More specifically each link is formed from a sheet of metal or the like(see FIG. 6) having a bottom wall 16 from which central tongue 18extends in one direction and end tongues 20 extend in the otherdirection. Tongue 18 is provided with groove 22 and tongues 20 areprovided with grooves 24, so located that when the tongues 18 and 20 arereversely bent about the grooves 22 and 24 respectively so as to overlieand be spaced above the wall 16, the intermediate and end projections 2and 4, the recess 6, and the lateral passages 8 and are formed thereby.A tab 26 is bent up from the wall 16 along the inner edge of the recess6, and tabs 28 are bent up from the wall 16 along the outer edge thereofto either side of the intermediate projection 2.

The resilient means 14 is here disclosed in the form of a strip ofresilient metal or the like which is adapted to rest on the wall 16beneath the bent-over tongues 18 and 20. It has a central part 30 with arounded surface 32 on one side thereof and with notches 34 on the otherside thereof between which the tab 26 is received. Arms 36 extend outfrom central part 30 and terminate in ends having rounded surfaces 38 onthe sides thereof opposite from the surfaces 32 and having notches 40 onthe other side thereof within which the tabs 28 are received. Thenotches 34, 40 and the tabs 26, 28 retain the strip 14 against unduelateral or longitudinal movement, and the wall 16 and tongues 18 andretain the strip against undue vertical movement.

In the normal unstressed condition of the strip 14 the surface 32 ofcentral part partially obtrudes into the passage 8, and at the same timethe surfaces 38 of the arms 36 partially obtrude into the passages 10,those passages 8 and 10 being of a size snugly to receive the pins 12.When the pins 12 are pushed into the passages 8 or 10 they engage thesurfaces 32 or 38 and cam the corresponding portions of the resilientmeans 14 out of their way against the resiliency thereof. Hence thesurfaces 32 and 38 of the resilient means 14 will press the pins 12forcibly against the side walls of the passages 8 and 10 in which theyare received, thus developing a substantial frictional force on the pins12 which will ensure that they will remain in position until adisassembling longitudinal force is directly and consciously exerted onthem.

To assemble two links the intermediate projection 2 of one is insertedinto the recess 6 of the other until the passages 8 and 10 register. Apin 12 is then inserted into the open end of one passage 10 and pushedtherethrough and through the passage 8 and the other passage 10, therebyarticulately connecting the two links and defining an axis about whichthe two links can pivot. To disassemble two links the pin 12 is pushedendwise out from the passages 8 and 10.

As the pin 12 moves through passage 10 its forward end meets surface 38of resilient arm 36 and earns that surface laterally outwardly. This isresisted by the resiliency of the arm 36. At the same time the entirepiece 14 is shifted so that the surface 30 is pressed more into passage8 of its own link (the better to grasp and hold the pin 12 extending orto extend through that passage) and its other surface 38 is pressed moreinto the other passage 10. As the pin moves through passage 8 in theadjacent link its forward end meets surface 32 on the resilient means 14in that other link and cams it out of the way. As the pin moves throughthe other passage 10 it engages the other surface 38 of the firstmentioned resilient means 14 and earns it out of the way.

It will be seen that each pin 12 is retained in position by means ofresilient pressure exerted thereon by three different surfaces (38, 32and 38) forming parts of two separate and distinct resilient pieces 14,one in each of the connected links. Each surface develops appreciableretaining force. Hence the overall result is one of great security andready attachment and detachment of links. The only tool needed fordetachment is a pin or point sufficiently small to push the pin 12 outfrom the passages 8 and 10, at least to a degree sufficient so that itsprotruded end may be grasped and the pin 12 then pulled all the way out.

To shorten a bracelet a given link or links (e.g. the link B) isseparated from its adjacent links A and C by pushing out the appropriatepins 12 and is removed from the linkage. The links A and C arereconnected by inserting the pin 12 after their respective projection 2and recess 6 have been interfitted.

To lengthen a bracelet a given pair of adjacent links are separated anda new link or links are inserted therebetween.

Each of the links may be covered by an ornamental shell 42 (see FIG. 1),which may be rectangular in plan shape, thereby masking the projections2, 4 and recesses 6 from view from above (compare FIGS. 1 and 2).Portions of the end walls of the shells 42 are cut away, at 44, toexpose the ends of the passages 10 and the ends of the pins 14 thereinreceived, so that the attaching and detaching operations above describedcan be carried out. Not all of the links need be made detachable;sufiicient leeway in length adjustment is afforded if only five or sixlinks are provided with the detachability feature. The non-detachablelinks 46 may be made identical with the detachable links A, B and C,except that the end walls of their shells 40 are not provided with thecutaways 44, and the resilient means 14 may be omitted therefrom ifdesired, since the ornamental shell end walls may be relied upon toretain the pins 14 in position articulately connecting adjacent links.

The structure of the present invention is simple, inexpensive andexceptionally well adapted to mass production techniques. Thedifferences between detachable and non-detachable links are greatlyminimized. Detachability is achieved without any appreciable sacrificein reliability or safety. The connecting pins 12 are held in place by aplurality of simultaneously and independently acting elements, therebyproviding a built-in safety factor.

While but a single specific embodiment of the present invention has beenhere specifically disclosed, it will be apparent that it is butexemplary in nature, and that many variations may be made therein, allwithin the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bracelet comprising a pair of adjacent links, one having a recessand the other having a projecting portion extending into said recess,said projecting portion having a first passage therethrough and said onelink having a second passage open at an external surface of said onelink and registering with said first passage, an element passing throughsaid passages and accessible at said external surface of said one link,and a resilient member in said other of said links engaging said elementas it extends through said first passage and frictionally retaining itin position, in which said projecting portion of said other linkprojects from an intermediate portion flanked by body portionsconstituting opposite sides of said other link, said resilient membercomprising an elongated element the ends of which extend into said bodyportions and an intermediate portion of which engages said element insaid first passage.

2. The bracelet of claim 1, in which said other link and said resilientmember have engaging parts limiting the permissible movement of saidresilient member in the directions in which said passages extend.

3. The bracelet of claim 1, in which said body portions, at their sidesopposite said projecting portion, define a recess therebetween intowhich the projecting portion of another adjacent link is receivable,said body portions having passages extending therethrough into whichanother link-securing element is adapted to be received, the ends ofsaid resilient element normally partially obstructing said lastmentioned passages, thereby being adapted to engage said otherlink-securing element and frictionally retain it in position.

4. A link comprising a housing with an intermediate projecting portionon one side thereof and a pair of end projecting portions on the otherside thereof defining a recess therebetween, a first passage throughsaid intermediate projecting portion, second and third registeringpassages through said end projecting portions respectively, and aresilient element in said housing having first, second and third partsnormally partially obstructing said first, second and third passagesrespectively but movable out of said obstructing position against theresiliency of said element, thereby to engage link-securing elementsinserted into said passages and frictionally retain said link-securingelements in position.

5. The link of claim 4, in which said parts of said resilient elementare provided with cam surfaces engageable with said link-securingelements as the latter are moved into said passages, thereby to permitsaid linksecuring elements to be readily inserted into said passages.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,784,451 Kraemer Dec. 9, 1930 2,392,116 Blumstein Jan. 1, 19462,449,273 Bisso Sept. 14, 1948 2,536,007 Milner Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,060,636 Germany July 2, 1959

